Industrial Construction at Colorado Springs Airport and Peak Innovation Park
Runway 17L/35R is 13,500 feet of concrete, and that single slab tells you what the neighbors of Colorado Springs Airport can ask of a builder. The city-owned airport sits about 6 miles southeast of downtown with three paved runways, each 150 feet wide, at 13,500, 11,022 and 8,270 feet. Industrial owners who locate beside an airfield inherit its constraints: height limits, lighting rules, bird and dust control, and a security perimeter that cannot be disturbed by a careless construction crew.
We build in that setting. We manage heavy pavements and dock aprons, erect tilt-wall and steel shells, install the underground utilities that a large park needs and keep the construction fence, haul routes and crane swings clear of the airside boundary. We coordinate with the airport operator on every item that could affect flight operations, and we tell owners early what the answer is likely to be.
Peak Innovation Park is the center of the opportunity. It is a 1,600-acre master-planned business park at the airport, and its first new construction in 2023 was a 104,000-square-foot distribution center. The long-term plan adds 10 to 15 million square feet over 20 to 30 years, supporting about 25,000 employees. That is a plan, not a schedule, but it gives a tenant a clear picture of where the park is heading and what level of infrastructure will be built to serve it.
A Passenger Airport With Room to Grow
The airport handled 2,473,099 passengers in 2024 and 2,448,001 in 2025, up from 1,864,485 in 2021, which makes it the second-largest commercial service airport in Colorado. Passenger growth brings air cargo, rental fleets, hotels and service tenants, and it supports the aerospace and defense supply chain firms that need quick access to flights. We see that demand as a reason for owners to consider the park for shipping-heavy and travel-dependent operations.
The park's neighbor on the north side of runway 13/31 is Peterson Space Force Base, and Powers Boulevard (State Highway 21) bypasses the airport as a high-speed expressway. For a company that must move product, staff and visitors, that combination of airfield, expressway and room to build is hard to match in the metro. The nearest comparison is the Powers Boulevard corridor, which offers the same road access without the airfield rules.
Pavements, Shells and Support Buildings
Our airport-area work begins with site preparation and heavy pavement. We grade the pad, build truck courts with reinforced concrete at the landing and turning areas and detail the dock aprons and loading zones for repeated heavy-axle traffic. Drainage is designed so water leaves the site without ponding near the building or running toward airfield surfaces.
We then build the structure, which is typically a tilt-wall or steel-framed warehouse, a distribution center, a maintenance building or a hangar. For an operator that works with aircraft, our aircraft hangars include long-span roof framing, a column-free interior, a slab designed for aircraft tugs and the fire protection that the occupancy requires.
Distribution, Hangar and Light Industrial Space
Most of the buildings in the park are distribution and light industrial. We build clear heights that suit racking, dock counts that match the tenant's truck volume and sprinkler systems designed to the stored commodity. Because the park is master-planned, the owner's building usually has to fit a design standard, and we confirm that standard before the foundation drawings are finished.
Hangars and aviation support space are a second category, and they have unusual structural demands. Door openings are wide, floors carry concentrated aircraft loads and fire suppression is often foam or high-expansion. Where an owner needs both a hangar and office space, we combine them under one roof and one foundation plan.
Working Beside an Airfield
Cranes are the first issue. A crane that is tall enough to set a tilt panel can be tall enough to affect airspace, so the lift plan has to be reviewed with the airport and the proper notice filed before the boom goes up. We plan crane locations, boom heights and working hours at the same time as the structural design, which avoids a late redesign.
Dust, lighting and debris are the second issue. Loose material on a construction site can blow toward the airfield, and unshielded temporary lights can distract pilots. We use stabilized haul roads, wetting, covered loads and shielded fixtures, and we sweep the entrance daily.
Utilities, Permits and the Regional Code
On June 13, 2025 Colorado Springs Utilities and the airport signed an agreement to build electric, gas, water and wastewater infrastructure for Peak Innovation Park. It includes a transmission framework of up to 600 megawatts and a new high-voltage substation, with the airport expecting to invest about $58 million and Utilities $165 million, and the park about 18% developed at the time. For a tenant, this means a defined path to power, which is often the longest lead item on a large building. Our site utilities package is organized around that infrastructure.
Buildings on the park are reviewed under the 2023 Pikes Peak Regional Building Code, which carries the 2021 International Building Code. We schedule the utility connection, the fire-line tie-in and the final inspection together, so a certificate of occupancy is not delayed by an unconnected service. For power-intensive users, we also discuss utilities and power early, because the substation timing may drive the move-in date.
What Sets the Number at the Airport
The main cost drivers are the electrical service, the pavement thickness for heavy trucks, the foundation type and any special requirements from the park's design standard. A building that needs a large amount of power will carry the cost of switchgear, duct banks and possibly a dedicated transformer. We price these separately so the tenant can compare options.
Airside-adjacent construction also adds soft costs: crane notices, additional insurance and tighter access control. We list those as their own lines so they are visible to the owner, and we propose ways to reduce them, such as grouping heavy lifts into a single window or pre-casting more components.
Share the Parcel and the Operation
Send the building program, the truck or aircraft requirements and the parcel you are considering. We will outline utilities, site work and a schedule that fits the airport's rules.
Common Questions
What is Peak Innovation Park?
It is a 1,600-acre master-planned business park at Colorado Springs Airport. The first new building in 2023 was a 104,000-square-foot distribution center. The long-term plan is 10 to 15 million square feet over 20 to 30 years. We recommend confirming parcel availability, design standards and utility timing with the airport before committing.
Will cranes and lifts need approval near the runways?
They may. Any tall temporary structure near an airfield needs to be reviewed for its effect on airspace, and the airport operator will expect notice. We include crane heights and swing radii in the early site plan and we involve the airport in the sequencing.
How reliable is power at the park?
The June 2025 agreement between Colorado Springs Utilities and the airport provides for a transmission framework of up to 600 megawatts and a new high-voltage substation. The park was about 18% developed at the time, so timing for individual parcels still needs to be confirmed. We include the utility schedule in every project plan.
Can you build a hangar together with an industrial building?
Yes, if the site and the airport's rules allow it. The hangar and the industrial building have different structural, fire and floor requirements, so we design them as separate areas under one site plan, with fire separation between them.
Does airport proximity change the building code?
The same Pikes Peak Regional Building Code applies, but airport rules add height, lighting and security conditions. We build those conditions into the drawings before the permit is submitted.